It was early afternoon as Linus slipped right through the doors of the concord into his first class seat. His now tie was still dangling around his neck and one of his cuff links was about to fall off. Linus had never had to run after anything in his life and now he was.
As the flight attendant said in French to buckle all seat belts and stow all items in the overhead bins or under the seat in from you, he rose and put his wardrobe bag above shoving it in wrinkling the contents inside. Then be quickly sat back down.
The push back from the jets glued Linus to his seat and left him feeling a little nauseous. As it leveled, it faded.
Once the plane had reached 35,000 feet, the stewardess came over to take Linus' drink order. He ordered a vodka tonic and ate some
Brie. The plane was now just off the northern edge of Nova Scotia and Linus was thinking about Sabrina and all this had meant.
He had hurt her and he knew earning her trust would be difficult if not almost impossible for him. She had trusted him and he violated that. What could he say to repair that trust ? A direct approach he knew would work best.
As the plane touched down just outside of Paris, Linus looked at the small haze that surrounded the airport and was pleased to see it was less than what he would normally see driving into Manhattan from Long Island. The Eiffel tower was off inn the far distance as dusk began to fall over Paris. Her plane would not land for another 20 minutes. He would be able to get to the address her father had given to him as he would move to a private customs
hall and quickly jump in a Mercedes limousine to Rue De Beaux Arts.
His eyes watered as the plane equalized and they came to a stop on the tarmac. He undid his seat belt and grabbed his bag above which now was squished into the side of the overhead bin. He pulled it down and jiggled it a bit and walked to the open door.
Dusk had fallen and there was a mist in the air. The tarmac was shiny and glistened in the twilight. Linus likes the smell of jet fuel and the anticipation. He enjoyed the walks he took through airport terminals. Normally he would walk but he needed to get somewhere for someone today.
The car waiting for him today sat in his garage on Long Island. Sleek and low and black, it was a dream on four wheels.
As it raced through the Paris streets he thought about what bright him there. The love he felt for this woman the one who could save his soul. As the car pulled down Rue De Beaux Arts, Linus felt the panic rise. He paid the driver and walked into a hotel lobby down the street. He walked to the bar and ordered a tonic water and lime. He did not want vodka right now. He just drank fast, dropped a quick tip, a simple merci and walked into the darkness
He found a doorway and hid quietly in the darkness. The cab pulled up. She got out and the driver pulled her luggage out of the trunk. She thanked him.
Linus stepped out of the shadows.